5 Comedy Shows to Catch in N.Y.C. This Weekend

Gary Gulman is one of several comedians helping the stand-up showcase “Whiplash” celebrate its 10th anniversary on Tuesday night at the Bell House.CreditCreditNeilson Barnard/Getty Images

By Kasia Pilat

Sept. 6, 2018

Our guide to stand-up, improv and variety shows happening this weekend and in the week ahead.

LESLIE JONES at Carolines on Broadway (Sept. 7-8, 7:30 and 10 p.m.). A riotous “Saturday Night Live” regular with an equally riotous Twitter feed, Ms. Jones is an enthusiastic performer on- and offstage, whether she’s sharing her passion for the Olympics and live-tweeting reality television or airing her thoughts on dating and “Hidden Figures” on “Weekend Update.” Ms. Jones will be imparting her infectious energy to the crowd as she continues her run of solo performances at Carolines this weekend.212-757-4100, carolines.com

‘LAUGH EXCHANGE LIVE’ at Littlefield (Sept. 8, 8 p.m.). HQ Trivia, which brings together large groups of people for the chance to win very small sums of money, rose quickly in popularity and earned the label of “best worst thing on the internet,” according to the New York Times critic Amanda Hess. Laugh Exchange, which launches in October, is reminiscent of HQ, mainly in that it’s also an app and you can also win money on it: Contestants submit comedy material that the audience votes on to determine who wins. To promote Laugh Exchange, Littlefield will host 48 comics, including Ophira Eisenberg, Negin Farsad and Shalewa Sharpe, for one minute of stand-up apiece.littlefieldnyc.com

‘LITERARY DEATH MATCH’ at Littlefield (Sept. 12, 8 p.m.). The comedian Jordan Klepper, who served as the eponymous frontman of the late-night satire program “The Opposition With Jordan Klepper,” will return to the network at some point in early 2019 with a new show. Meanwhile, Mr. Klepper takes time to judge this competition, part of the Brooklyn Book Festival, in which four authors compete by performing a reading. Two are selected to move on to the final round, in which they compete for the “Literary Death Match” crown.littlefieldnyc.com

‘LITPROV’ at Symphony Space (Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m.). Brooklyn is fertile ground for fresh and innovative comedy in New York, and storied clubs can be found downtown, but this new series expands the city’s offerings to the Upper West Side. Bringing together literature and laughter, LitProv invites authors to read some of their work while comedians do improv inspired by it. This time, the authors include Joseph Fink (“Welcome to Night Vale”) and Melissa Broder (“So Sad Today”), while one of the comedians is Dulcé Sloan from “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah.”212-864-5400, symphonyspace.org

‘WHIPLASH’ 10TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW at the Bell House (Sept. 11, 8 p.m.). This long-running stand-up showcase has been running for so long that on Tuesday it will celebrate a decade of existence. The series, which moved to Union Hall earlier this year, does not typically announce its acts beforehand, but it has for this particular show, and the lineup is reliably packed with top-notch comedy talent: Gary Gulman, Jo Firestone, Janeane Garofalo, Jon Glaser, Wyatt Cenac and Liza Treyger, among others.718-643-6510, thebellhouseny.com